Friday, July 3, 2015

Adults always want to protect their kids from anything that is bad for a healthy and mental development: movies and video games with violence, drugs, alcohol and smoking. Past years governments made their significant contribution to growing a healthy nation by introduction of laws which keep away kids from tobacco. However, less is done about e-cigarettes and tobacco companies began to use this loophole by actively promoting these products.

Today more and more people consider that Big Tobacco targets kids and teens with e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes are accepted by health care experts as a new form of attracting youth to ensure addicted smokers for years.

Bad news is that latest data shows that the number of young people using e-cigarettes is higher than the number of those using regular cigarettes, and these numbers are growing. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s own Center for Tobacco Products and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) presented a report which reveals that in the past year the use of e-cigarettes has tripled among teens.

Though I write about smoking and I consider that smoker's rights must be respected, I do not welcome smoking among kids and teens. It is okay when a teen tries one cigarette, but it is bad when he smokes regularly. It does not matter what he chooses to smoke — cigarettes, e-cigarettes, hookah — all is bad for him! I totally support governments in protecting kids from smoking!

Reasons why kids use e-cigirettes are evident — it is trendy and tasty as they have sweet flavours and are considered safe.

Last year FDA proposed to regulate those products just like tobacco. To my opinion, this would be fair. However, the regulation was not formulated yet and tobacco companies make use of the situation and actively promote e-cigarettes, hookahs, and attract kids to smoking. Tobacco companies have no ban on e-cigarettes advertising and they advertise directly to kids. For example, they sponsor events for young people, place their ads to media mostly used by kids and especially advertise on web.

By these actions tobacco companies want to encourage a new generation to use tobacco and CDC report shows that this tactics is working.

I do consider that while FDA is thinking over its final decision on e-cigarettes regulation, it is up to you, dear parents, to protect your kids from these products! E-cigarettes are addictive and even more dangerous than tobacco because they contain an unknown amount of tozix substances.